The present invention relates to a device and system for augmenting the functionality of a door entry system installed within a premises in a non-destructive way, enabling remote access control of that premises.
In buildings shared by multiple occupants there is often a door entry system installed, the purpose of which is to allow people to open the door entering the building from within their own unit, and to speak to people who are at the entrance of the building over an audio or video interface. The unit could be an apartment, an office, or any other piece of space requiring access control.
These systems are commonly referred to as door entry systems, However they are also marketed as access control systems, and door entry intercoms. They are typically sold as integrated solutions consisting of a door panel, a transformer, and one or more handsets for installation within each unit. The handsets can be wired directly to the door panel at the entrance to the building, or via an intermediate control box. The door panel is wired to some form of electric lock at the entrance to the building.
The door panel consists of at least three elements—a buzzer for each unit with an entry phone installed, and a microphone and a speaker allowing a conversation to take place between a person in the unit and the visitor.
WO2007/012831 discloses a door entry system which provides remote access control and WO98/39894 discloses a system for augmenting communal parts of an existing door entry system for remote access to communal areas.
In situations where an individual unit owner wants to upgrade the functionality that they have access to, they would have to purchase one of these integrated solutions and replace all or part of the existing system. This is because a lot of the functionality of the system is contained within the door panel, rather than the individual entry phones. There are exceptions—for instance, if the existing system supports both audio and video handsets and the unit owner currently has an audio handset installed, then they could replace it with a supported video handset. However, in the vast majority of cases the system is designed for a single handset design, so getting improved functionality is not as straightforward as installing a different handset.
Since door entry systems are spread throughout the entire building, in order to install a replacement a unit owner would require permission to makes changes to the communal area of the building, which is often managed by a third party management company on behalf of the occupants of the building. In other cases the communal area may be managed by an occupant elected by the other occupants. There are other conceivable setups, but the main point is that getting permission to replace the system is an obstacle to making improvements. Furthermore, the changes required are quite invasive, involving installation of a new door panel, as well as wiring and any other support accessories.
Likewise, if the unit owner has access to some sort of sophisticated lock which they want to install at the entrance to the building, then they would also require permission from the relevant parties. A specific example is where a unit owner wishes to control access to their unit when they are not personally present. This could be in response to a tradesman visiting, or a cleaner. For the reasons outlined above, installing a new lock at the entrance, or replacing the entry system would be difficult. The present applicant has appreciated that a device which adds this functionality to the existing system would be favourable, such that the intervention was low impact, and didn't involve any changes to the communal area. This would also have the specific benefit of limiting the number of keys which have to be given out to numerous visitors who may require access to the unit at different points in time.